The magnetization of a layer or of a small magnetic element is commonly reversed by means of an applied magnetic field. The direction of the field is changed depending on whether it is desired to turn the magnetization in one direction or in another for example. Writing on magnetic tracks or on computer hard disks is based on this principle: the element for reversing is placed mechanically in the vicinity of a magnetic field generator so as to localize the field in three dimensions. It is the very structure of a magnetic field, which by definition is not localized in three dimensions, that raises numerous difficulties for integrating magnetic fields in devices. Thus, when no mechanical action is possible or desired, e.g. with solid magnetic memories known as magnetic random access memory (MRAM) or with logic devices, it is necessary to focus the magnetic field sufficiently for it to act only on the target cell and without impacting its neighbors. This problem becomes increasingly severe when the various memory or logic cells are located very close to one another in order to increase the density thereof.
The possibility of manipulating magnetization by means of a spin-polarized current, which was initially demonstrated theoretically in 1996, has provided a first solution to this problem. For the purpose of manipulating the magnetization at a memory point, this physical principle referred to as spin transfer torque (STT) requires the presence of at least two magnetic layers separated by a non-magnetic metal (for a spin valve type structure) or by an insulator (for a magnetic tunnel junction type structure), the two layers having magnetizations that are not colinear. The detailed physical explanation differs depending on whether a spin valve structure or a magnetic tunnel junction structure is involved, but in outline the current becomes spin polarized on passing through the first magnetic layer and then exerts torque on the magnetization of the second layer by means of the non-colinear component of the current polarization. When current densities are high enough, the magnetization of the second magnetic layer may be reversed both in spin valves and in magnetic tunnel junctions.
As described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 7,009,877 published on Mar. 7, 2006 and in US patent application No. 2009/129143 published on May 21, 2009, the electric current necessarily passes through the junction perpendicularly to the plane of the layers.
This ability to manipulate locally the magnetization of a magnetic element of sub-micrometer size by means of an electric current immediately opens up possibilities for applications. At present, industrial actors are seeking to incorporate this principle in novel architectures for MRAM memory cells and logic components.
At present, such incorporation encounters various difficulties that appear to be inter-related.
Reversal by STT requires the presence at the memory point of at least two magnetic layers that are separated by a non-magnetic spacer. As described above, writing is performed by injecting a high-density current through the entire stack perpendicularly to the plane of the magnetic layers, while reading is performed by means of the magnetoresistance of the stack: giant magnetoresistance (GMR) for spin valves, and tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) for magnetic tunnel junctions. At present, all or nearly all applications are based on using magnetic tunnel junctions. Thus although the GMR signal is only a few percent, the TMR signal from MgO-based junctions is commonly greater than 100%. Nevertheless, tunnel junctions have the disadvantage of presenting large values for the product of resistance multiplied by area (RA). Thus, for a typical current density of 107 amps per square centimeter (A/cm2) as needed for STT reversal, the voltage at the edges of the junction is 10 volts (V) for an RA of 100 ohm-square micrometers (Ω·μm2), 1 V for an RA of 10 Ω·μm2, and 0.1 V for an RA of 1 Ω·μm2. Apart from the smallest value, the power dissipated in the junction is then large, which is harmful both in terms of energy consumption and in terms of damaging said junction. Furthermore, the high values of TMR that are useful in reading are often obtained by stacks that present high values for RA. That is why present research is seeking to obtain tunnel junctions that present high values of TMR and small values of RA. In addition, even for relatively small values of voltage at the edges of the junction, accelerated aging phenomena of the junction have been observed in operation that are due to voltage cycling. At present, numerous studies are devoted to this point both for optimizing materials in existing configurations and also for defining new configurations which make it possible to decouple the write and read problems as much as possible, by using configurations having three terminals, for example.
To summarize, a difficulty lies in the impossibility of independently optimizing reading and writing since, in known STT devices, those two phenomena are intrinsically linked.
Yet another difficulty that is inherent to this link comes from the ever-greater complexity of the stacks. Thus, if it is desired that the STT effect is felt only in the layer that is to be reversed in order to store the magnetization, it is necessary for example to stabilize the other layers, e.g. by means of exchange coupling with an antiferromagnetic material: if it is desired to increase the amplitude of the STT transfer, it is necessary to optimize the polarizing layers; if it is desired to reduce the magnetic fields radiated on the sensitive layers, it is necessary for example to use artificial antiferromagnetic bilayers; etc.
As a result, typical magnetic stacks of MRAM cells or logic components may have more than ten or 15 different layers of various materials. This then gives rise to difficulties during structuring steps, and in particular during the etching step, which is one of the major blocking points for integrating such magnetic stacks.
Another line of research is to manipulate the magnetization by means of a local electric field. This may be accomplished in part by modifying the anisotropy of a material by means of an outer electric field, with magnetization being reversed by means of an applied magnetic field. One such technique is described in the article by T. Maruyama et al. entitled “Large voltage-induced magnetic anisotropy charge in a few atomic layers of iron” (Nature Nanotechnology, Vol. 4, March 2009—Macmillan Publishers Ltd.).
At present, that technique makes it possible only to reduce the magnetic anisotropy of the material. The write and read processes are then the same as those described previously, and they have the same drawbacks.